After a convincing exhibition victory over Ohio Christian University last Friday, Kent State women’s basketball is ready to open the regular season schedule.

The Flashes will head northwest to chilly Fargo, North Dakota to battle North Dakota State on Friday at 1 p.m. The Bison will be playing in their field house for the next two years while their sports arena is being renovated.

Friday will be the first-ever meeting between Kent State and North Dakota State. Both teams played an exhibition game last Friday to get ready for their regular season schedules. Kent State dominated the Division II Ohio Christian Trailblazers, 100-45.

Twelve Flashes saw playing time, as freshman Jordan Korinek recorded a double-double with her team-leading 23 points and 10 rebounds. The Cuyahoga Falls native and standout forward from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School went 10 for 11 from the field and 3 for 4 from the free-throw line.

In the central time zone, North Dakota State blew out Minnesota’s Division II Bemidji State Beavers 100-47. Junior Holly Johnson led her team in points and rebounds, registering 24 and 10, respectively. The Bison shot 48 percent from the field and 44 percent from three-point range.

The Bison have an outstanding record in regular season openers, as they are 30-19 all-time. NDSU has won its past two regular season openers, defeating Mayville State last year, 112-62, and Harvard in 2012, 81-72. The last regular season-opening loss for the yellow and green was an 82-59 loss to Green Bay in 2011.

Last year, North Dakota State was a dismal 6-24 last year, only winning three home games and finishing in the basement of the Summit League. Kent State was a similar 7-23, only winning four home games.

NDSU also has three returning starters from last season, but this will be Maren Walseth’s first season as the team’s coach. The 10th head coach in program history joined the Bison after spending seven years as an assistant coach at Big 10 powerhouse Penn State. She helped lead the Lady Lions to three Big Ten Championships, four NCAA tournament appearances and two NCAA Sweet 16 appearances.

On the Kent State side of the ball, head coach Danielle O’Banion will embark on her third season at the helm for the Flashes. Before coming to Kent State, O’Banion was an assistant coach for the University of Memphis Tigers for four years.

Live stats of the game will be provided on North Dakota State’s athletics website.

Contact Ben Orner at [email protected].